Editorial
| DOI | 10.1177/001955612013030ix |
| Published date | 01 July 2013 |
| Date | 01 July 2013 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
EDITORIAL
Values are personal in an individual's life and reflect one's social milieu
also. They shape attitude, behaviour and relationships. But, sometimes,
institutional values clash with individual values. Societal values also may
not be same with individual values. But governance requires justice, equity,
accountability, transparency and freedom from corruption
of
any kind. These
are not difficult to cultivate for people where individual perceptions are in
consonance with community values.
It
is commonly believed that most
human beings are fundamentally honest and socially conscious, but there
are small proportions
of
people, which cannot resolve individual aspiration
with the good
of
society. Holding an office
of
authority and an instinct to
control over public purse offer enormous temptation and opportunity to
promote private gain at public cost. This combination tends to impair the
governance and trigger a sequence
th~t
affects development, welfare and
people's
faith in the institutions
of
governance.
The
cascading effect
manifests itself in spread
of
corruption and unethical conduct at the higher
echelons
of
public life, organizations, institutions and even major business
entities. It, then, does not remain confine to the governance alone but affects
anchor
of
social and cultural outlooks and value systems.
Any deterrent to ethical governance needs to be tackled on multiple
fronts. A
number
of
countries
have
adopted
the
Swedish
model
of
Ombudsman to ensure probity in public life by curbing and punishing the
corrupt. He is meant to ensure that administration is carried on in accordance
with laws and statutes; that public authorities do not exceed
or
abuse their
powers; that justice is rendered fairly and impartially; and that the rights
and freedom
of
the citizens are not violated. The article by U.C. Agarwal
traces the origin
of
Ombudsman and his effectiveness in different political
systems. He is
of
the view that since most
of
the present woes
of
the
country could be ascribed to massive political corruption, the Lokpal Bill
should
be
passed without losing any more time. Lokpal, like an Ombudsman
should expeditiously deal with complaints and allegations and should
be
vested with power to prosecute any erring public official
or
recommend
departmental action for his removal
or
dismissal for any grave negligence
in the performance
of
duty.
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